1608 



Five for an analysis of this problem.) The territorial sovereign t}' con- 

 cept in international law and the issue of ownership of the ocean 

 floor came increasingly into question; the United States often did not 

 succeed in developing diplomatic solutions to protect its own interests 

 and that of its nationals in this critical sphere, or alternatively to 

 reach harmonious international understandings in the interests of all. 

 (See Case Five.) 



The rise of the multinational corporation, gaining impetus from 

 "the opportunity seized by American entrepreneurs to exploit U.S. 

 computer and electronic technologies in European markets," ^^^ 

 created complex policy problems for the U.S. Government and raised 

 questions as to proper relationships and degrees of control. Even the 

 innovative "Green Revolution," which seemed to buy time for the 

 search for solutions to the ultimate human problem of balancing 

 food and population (see Issue Three), proved to have its special 

 technological problems and political dangers. "Thus, by the close of 

 1970, it was evident that U.S. technology had not been an unqualified 

 success in furthering either U.S. foreign policy objectives or the 

 aspirations of the world at large": 



The undoubted promise of technology had not achieved fulfillment. It was 

 not clear why. AVas it because technologists were unable to produce imflawed 

 innovations? Were the diplomats unable to specify the performance of technologies 

 for global effects? Was there an insufficient coupling of technologists with diplo- 

 mats to achieve proper teamwork toward a successful product? Where did — • 

 and do — the weaknesses lie? '^^ 



The outstanding development in technologically based diplomacy 

 since the above words were written has been the setback suffered by 

 the oil-dependent nations at the hands of the oil producers — a setback 

 which compounded a major world economic recession already under- 

 way. As of mid-1977, the foregoing questions seem more insistent than 

 ever. 



Role of Congress 



As a broad tour d 'horizon, the study of Tke Evolution of Inter- 

 national Technology does not address the legislative aspect in the 

 United States, except to acknowledge in passing that, "The political 

 role of the farmer and the response of the Congress to the needs of 

 the farmer appear to have been affected by the technological revolu- 

 tion in agriculture. . . . Much of the legislation between 1800 and 

 1900 had a rural or agricultural bias, including the Northwest Ordi- 

 nance, creation of the Department of Agriculture, the land grant 

 colleges, the Homestead Act, railroad land grants and subsidies, the 

 Interstate Commerce Commission, and sustained support for agri- 

 cultural research." ^^^ 



For the sake of perspective, however, it should be noted that Con- 

 gress has played a significant part in giving shape and direction to 

 the technological leadership exercised by the United States since 

 World War II. The Marshall Plan, technical assistance to developing 

 nations, establishment of the Atomic Energy Commission and subse- 

 quent support of European nuclear power activities, the space pro- 

 gram (including the creation of related organizational structures in 

 the executive branch and in the Congress itself) in response to the 

 challenge of Sputnik I, the development of the Polaris system — these 



129 Ibid. 

 ■30 Ibid. 

 131 Ibid., P.G42. 



